Ryan's Hat Tricks
by Regina Bianca del Mare Azzurro
Summary: Summary: These are the hat themed memoirs of Ryan Evans with commentary by his sister, Sharpay.
1. Author's Introduction

**Ryan's Hat-Tricks**

To Sharpay

Disclaimer: I do own neither High School Musical nor Ryan Evans, even though I'd love to. But then, if I did, I'd be a billionaire vacationing along with Lucas in a tropical island... Additionally, I am not associated with Disney in any way and this piece of fanfiction is intended to entertain, not to offend! Enjoy, or in Sharpay's words: Toodles!

**Summary: ****These are the hat-themed memoirs of Ryan Evans with commentary by his sister, Sharpay.**

**Introduction**

**Sharpay's Note: Now, I can't really understand what got into him. It**** must be that whole "Break Free from the Status Quo" craze. Ryan is now evolving into an aspiring writer. As I think of it, that's not bad necessarily, as he may prove talented and write scripts for our movies one day… Still, when he first let me look in his journal today, I was astonished. What he was writing was not at all about me. It was just about-**

Well, thank you Sharpay, but this is enough. Now let me finish your sentence. You are right. This book is all about my amazing hat collection, a piece of art that took me years to gather together. My precious hats make me a proud owner and have proved to be faithful companions in various situations. In a way, they remind me of you Shar!

Now, don't shout. This is intended to be a compliment. You see, you bop to the top of my list of favourite things. This has nothing to do with "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens", but rather with you, my hats, acting, writing (although you were always the one with the good penmanship) and probably baseball. Shar, this book is devoted to you, because you have been with me through all the beautiful and hard times. This is mainly why you are featured in this book too. You are the protagonist of my life! We've worked together, we've created art together, and we've enjoyed life together. You are always there for me and I'll be always there for you. You know I will.

So I, Ryan Evans, have the most amazing twin sister in the world: a drama partner, a friend, and the voice of stylistic reason into my head. At sixteen years, I am co-president of the drama club in East High, having starred in a total of seventeen films. I have a feeling, however, that you, my faithful readers, already know that. After that Disney movie came out, High School Musical I think it is called, the amount of fanfiction I read about me has more than tripled. No, in this book I'm not telling you if I'm gay or not or if I have a crush on Gabriella, Troy, Kelsi, Chad or even my own sister. No, I'm going to tell you about my hats.

My collection marks more than two thousand hats really. I have trilbys and fedoras, top hats and bowler hats. I also have a lovely collection of baseball cups and, of course, my beloved and much adored flat cups, with the Coppolas, the newsboys and the Gatsbys. If all these sound Greek to you, then try to Google them, search in wikipedia, or leave me a note. I consider myself to be something like a hat expert, since my articles have also been featured in the encyclopedia "A Brief History of Hats". I come to own all ninety nine volumes.

I almost never go out without a hat. To leave your best mates alone is an unforgivable sin. I love all fabrics: leather is mysterious, silk is soft, tweed is classic. I love all colours. Recently I analyzed in a school essay Dr de Bono's theory of the six colours, which got me an A++ in English. The teacher was very impressed, as I analyzed how red stands out for passion, green for originality and black for critical thinking. It all relates to understanding our world in a way. Then, I love all styles. Each style is unique, making you a different person each time.

My motto in Latin is "Carpe Diem!" meaning "Seize the Day." Our ultimate weapon in this effort is the hat. It sounds weird, but each one has a different flair, that makes each day you seize special. I hope I convinced you. My journal is yours to read. Each chapter will be a unique story and in each I will be wearing a unique hat! Sit back and relax, for you are ready to discover my life's and wardrobe's secrets. So, what are you waiting for? Go on, read! Just hope you like it! (In case you do, be sure to rate and review! This is my first writing attempt, as Shar pointed out, and I'd really appreciate your feedback!)

Thank you,

Ryan Evans


	2. The Equestrian Helmet

**Chapter One: The Equestrian Helmet**

**Sharpay's Note:**** Toodles! That wasn't bad at all! I think my brother has flair. Anyway, he mentioned that Disney movie in his introduction. This gives me the opportunity to warn you, Ryan's readers, that it might be a great movie (since I also come to star in it) but it distorts reality. I'm not ****that ****nice in real life. Ryan can assure you how much I yell to him during our rehearsals. Plus, Troy and Gabriella never got the leading roles in Twinkle Town, we did. But then, what do you expect form a Disney movie, anyway? Cute couples triumph in the end…**

**Thank you for your compliments, Ryan. I know I'm great. Deep inside, I love you to. But then what's wrong with "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens"? Hey, these are a few of ****my**** favourite things!**

If we were in a debate club, Shar, I would now yield the floor. But since we are co-presidents of the drama club, I'd rather say I'll steal the spotlight from you. Just to point out how right you are, High School Musical is a great movie, but don't take it too seriously, people. I feel obliged to write down the real facts. Troy, a basketball jock loves Gabriella, a math einsteinette. Sharpay gets jealous because she'd secretly fancied him since kindergarten. Those two audition for the school's musical. Surprisingly, they don't sound that bad and get two respectable supporting roles, which leaves Sharpay and me to star in our eighteenth school production, because of all the hard work we've been through (and all the yelling I've been through!)

Now, let's get back to hats. Today I will present you my equestrian helmet. It's nothing attractive really. Sharpay claims that these make you look like a sad duckling. It is just a hard shell covered with black velveteen, giving its wearer a rather conservative and austere look of traditional Old England aesthetics. This hat, however, saved my life. And this is how.

**Don't be ridiculous! How can a hat possibly save your life?**

Don't you remember Shar? It was all your idea. It was only last summer. We were in our grandparents' country club. And then, one day as we were sitting by the pool drinking smoothies and reading magazines, my sister turned to me.

"Ryan," she said in that particular tone she uses when she will have something her way. "I'm bored. Why don't we do something exciting for once?"

"Like what" I asked, indifferently as I was absorbed in reading about the new fashionable way to wear a hat. I hate it when I am interrupted from something that important.

"Like horse riding," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Will you come with me?"

I hate to admit this, but I am a little afraid of horses. Don't get me wrong. They are beautiful creatures, but they make me feel quite uneasy. You never know how they are going to react and…

"I can see you are scared. I'll go by myself then".

Sharpay should become a psychologist, really. She either knows me too well or she excels in twin telepathy. That can be quite scary. Once she played Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, singing "He scares me so, I love him so". Well, in my case it's the other way round. I love my sister, but she scares me sometimes.

"That's not it!" I protested. "If resting by the pool is out of the question, I was just wondering, wouldn't you like to play baseball or tennis or golf instead?"

"Nah, we are too few for baseball. Tennis we played this morning and I beat you twice and the golf course is closed today as they are looking after the grass. So, horse riding is the only option. Come on, we will have to wear fancy hats!"

"Hats!" I exclaimed, forgetting all about my previous doubts. "Consider me in!"

Before I could tell, I was on horseback. I really need to be careful of the influence Sharpay has on me. She manipulates me in every possible way. I mean, I am afraid of horses after all! As I couldn't help feeling nervous, I decided to do whatever she was doing. In that way, I would hide my feeling and probably… relax. I guess this is called acting!

Still, that was a bad decision! I didn't know Sharpay was mad about equestrianism, but then, I believe she always manages to amaze me. It turned out; she was good enough in dressage exercises and quite familiar with jumping over obstacles. As I couldn't do all this, I sat as still as I could and watched.

"Where have you learned all this, Shar?"

"Whose is the club, Ryan?" she replied jokingly by posing another question.

"Well, it belongs to the family, but I don't see what this has to do with what I asked!"

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "So who gets to have free riding lessons? I bet that's not the one who is afraid of horses!"

"I'm not scared!" I protested. "Can't you see I'm getting the hang of it?"

"Geez, Ryan! You ride a pony, for God's sake!"

"Well, it's a rather tall one… Plus, Shar, what are you doing there?"

I turned to see my sister holding a whip from her belt. Now, I know that these things are supposedly used in horse riding to make the animal go faster or something, but I couldn't face this. If Sharpay were to hit that animal, I wouldn't know what to do, but I couldn't watch the scene. It's against my principles to torture a poor creature. Sharpay, on the other hands, finds it fairly normal to torture people.

**Oh yes, now I remember that story. Go on, Ryan, go on! After all, you are the person I love to torture the most! Just kidding, but the end of it is really entertaining! By the way, I adore the way you portray me!**

"A small race is out of the question, isn't it?" my sister asked. "Come on Ryan, she said, riding all the distance next to me. Well, you can always use this," she added, by giving me the whip. "I don't like using this either, but it makes me feel sure when I hold it."

As this cruel object touched my hands, I felt like losing every connection to reality. I fainted, really. My head reached the ground, or technically, my hard helmet did, saving my life. It prevented for the least, a sure amnesia. This is practically the end of the story.

**You are a lousy writer! How can you end the story that way! As a reader I feel incomplete! And what was with this utterly dramatic "This hat saved my life?" **

It did, Shar! It prevented amnesia indeed! After all I'm supposed to be dramatic. I'm the president of the drama club!

**I am president of the drama club too, you know!**

Yes, I know! You are the Drama Queen (and Ice Queen)-

**I'll pretend I never saw that!**

Let me finish, please –of East High. Excuse me, dear readers, but nothing can prevent a typical sibling fight. Let's go back to our story now. As it turned out, the whole phase with the whip was prearranged. Knowing my dislike for torturing animals, she'd thought it would make a funny prank. Too bad, things went a little out of control. I was lucky though, since the hat saved my life! I do not consider this to be an embarrassing moment.

**Well, it ****is**** one. Make sure nobody in school knows, especially Chad, because he will start spreading more rumours about how gay you are!**

How many times I'll have to say that: I am not gay! Every true man must be able to express his feelings because then he realizes who he is.

**Where did you read that, on Teen Vogue?**

I think I've got to go, my faithful readers. This is not going anywhere as I'm predicting a huge sibling fight! Stay tuned, however, because in my next story I'll prove to my infidel sister what a real man is, I mean a man in a hat! With all of the dignity I have left, I kindly ask you to rate and review. I hope I see you soon, if Sharpay doesn't kill me in the meanwhile...

Ryan Evans


	3. The Pink Flat Cup

**Chapter Two: The Pink Flat Cup**

**Sharpay's Note: This is a historic moment, as I feel the urge to apologize to Ryan for our meaningless fight the last time. I never meant to embarrass him or make him feel uneasy in front of his readers. Sorry bro, you really aren't a lousy writer. Quite on the contrary, you are a great one. Well, this doesn't sound at all like me, so I'll become my usual Ice Queen self again! For your information, dear Ryan's fans, I didn't kill him. So you may as well enjoy the rest of his stories. **

Last night, I got an awful load of emails in my PC giving me encouragement of my writing attempts. Thank you, people. However, most of them also asked if I'm gay and supposing I am not who I am in love with. I can read out one of those for you.

"Hi Ryan! Sharpay is really hot. You must be so proud of having such a sexy sister. Can you give me her phone number? Lots of love and kisses (mostly to her), Anthony"

**Oh, hi Anthony! I am free at the moment, so I guess, if you are preppy, tall, dark and handsome, my phone number is…**

What are you doing, Shar? Don't you know that you should never, never give your real phone over the internet? Anyway, I guess I must have picked up a wrong email. Well here that's the right one:

"Dear Ryan, I've been wondering for a long time whether you are gay or not. I trouble myself with thinking about it all day and night. I can't even concentrate for school. Just tell me in simple words: yes or no? Then with who are you romantically involved. Is it Troy, is it Gabriella, is it Chad, is it Kelsi, is it Mrs. Darbus or is it Sharpay? (Come on, everyone can see the chemistry). Love, Paola the Impatient"

I know I had declared that I wouldn't engage in such trivial matters but now I feel like I have to answer once and for all. I am neither gay nor bisexual. I have nothing against that, either. It just happens that I am straight. I don't fancy Gabriella; she's two cute for my tastes or Kelsi as she's too much of a freshman. Mrs. Darbus… EW! How did you ever think of that! I mean, she was born most likely before my grandmother. Then as to Sharpay, just to paraphrase Princess Leia's sayings from Star Wars, of course I love her! She is my sister! We are not romantically involved. I have, however, a secret crush on Maddie Fitzpatrick, a cute girl I met once in Boston (she bears a striking similarity to Shar) but I doubt she remembers me. The bitter truth is… I'm single for the moment. But this was not the case when I was wearing my beautiful pink flat cup.

Her name was Alessandra, and she was an exchange student at East High last year. She was the sexiest girl I had ever seen…

**Ryan! Who's the fairest of them all?**

Ok, Shar. Her name was Alessandra and she was an exchange student at East High last year. She was the sexiest girl I had ever seen, besides Sharpay. She was of Italian, specifically of Sicilian descent which reflected on her smooth, almond skin, her endless legs and her gorgeous, sparkling green eyes. This day, when she entered the cafeteria, all the heads turned to her direction.

**Yes, because ****I**** was showing her around!**

Right, I forgot to mention. Sharpay was responsible for her. This basically meant one thing. Alessandra was staying in my house!!! I couldn't believe it. When news came in that we would host an exchange student, I actually thought of someone nerdy, ungraceful and unattractive. I couldn't be more wrong, as Alessandra looked more like a model. So, that day in the cafeteria…

"Oh my God!" cried Troy Bolton from the basketball table and rushed next to me. "Evans, you never told me you were hiding such a treasure in your house. Ha-ha… could you do anything for a friend? You must know that I like brunettes, don't you?"

"I actually don't know her…" I started. "I mean, she only arrived today!"

"What a loser," Chad jumped instantly next to me too. "I mean, that's a shame, such a girl staying at your house, considering that you are gay and stuff."

"I'm not gay!" I protested. But somebody else was approaching. It was her and Sharpay.

"Ryan, I want you to meet Alessandra Martini," my sister said. "She'll stay with us for the next fifteen days (Oh, why couldn't it have been years instead!) and I want you to help her as much as I do. Moreover, since I had this whole argument with Marion, I decided she should have the role of Rosalind in our premiere of Romeo and Juliet. It's nothing really fancy but I already informed her about our drama tradition here in East High and she is really delighted. Show her around, Romeo!" And she left.

"Are you, really?" I asked. As president, I had once again the lead role with Sharpay as Juliet, but Rosalind was supposed to be Romeo's first love affair. This could get interesting.

"Si, of course" she replied in a mixture of Italian and English. "Nel Liceo Filologico Santa Giovanna, where I go to school I am also president of the drama club. If Sharpay visits un giorno, I may give her a one liner as well".

**Wait!!! Did she really say that?**

Well, if that wasn't the Italian equivalent to Shar! I bet she would feel uneasy away from the spotlight. They also had the same sense of style, covered in pale colours and diamonds.

"I have starred in diciasette, I mean seventeen drama productions", she said proudly.

"Really, me too!" I exclaimed.

"Mi piace, I love your hat, by the way!"

"Wait… You said you liked my pink flat cup? You really do? Thanks!"

"It is original. In my country, pink symbolizes manhood. Now don't laugh. You, the Americani, associate pink with homosexuality and queerness. That's not the case in Palermo, though. We have a squadra di calcio, a football club… Oh I'm sorry; I forget you call that soccer. We have a soccer team in a country where soccer means anything. And our city is infamous for its mafia, which means our guys are the toughest and most masculine. Well back to the soccer team… Do you know what colour the players' shirts are?

"Pink" I guessed.

"That's right" she said, laughing. "Sai, tu es un bello ragazzo! Yes, you are a sexy boy."

"And since we will perform Shakespeare, thou art more fair than a summer night".

She laughed once again and blew me a kiss in the air. Oh, little did Danforth know… But, no… This is not the end of it! The best is yet to come. That night, as Sharpay was performing her hourly beauty routine, Alessandra came into my room, carrying a plate of spaghetti.

"I cooked that," she said cunningly. "Want some? It is traditional italiano food".

"Well, sure" I said. She was surprisingly a good cook. "So, how do you get on with Sharpay?" I asked, trying to break off the ice.

"Fine, I mean she's one of the few people I adore hanging out, I mean when we are not arguing about which one has the better looks, the better voice and the most talent. Plus there is this whole debate that will never bring us together: she believes Ralph Lauren is better than Roberto Cavalli, I believe Roberto Cavalli is better than Ralph Lauren. But otherwise, we are already good friends. Ryan, are you listening to me?"

"Yes," I said, even though I realized that I was not looking at her straight in the eyes, but rather in the upper part of her body.

"Hey, you are still wearing that pink hat. Let me put that off," she said, and before I could say a word she grasped my hat. "Well, I adore your hats but I adore your hair as well," she continued as she stoked it with her fingers.

Next thing I know, Romeo left Juliet and started making out with his old crush, Rosalind. Reality can prove to be sometimes so much better than Shakespearean drama. Those Sharpay-like girls are so great! They seem like dangerous, sexy Ice Queens in the beginning but as the challenge goes on and on, you find yourself craving for more.

**Thank you, Ryan. I feel very flattered.**

These would be fifteen amazing days… thanks to an amazing hat. Still, if you want to know more about my other amazing hats, you'll have to rate and review.

Ryan Evans


	4. The What I've Been Looking For Hat

**Chapter Three: The "What I've been Looking For" Hat**

**Sharpay's Note: See what my brother does? An exchange girl comes to East High for a few days and he finds the opportunity to take advantage of her! I wave to warn you, Ry, if you start flirting all the time ever again and start coming up late for our rehearsals; I'll ditch you for Troy Bolton. That would be such a shame! You know we are the best drama partners that could ever be! One day we will be on Broadway, star in original productions and travel all over the world! **

Well, that's our dream, isn't it? Apparently your dreams include Troy Bolton as well but…

**No they don't! I'm so over him! I just like his voice. **

Come on, Shar! Everybody knows he didn't do his own singing in the movie! He was replaced by a certain Drew Seeley. How unprofessional is that! Our duet, on the other hand, even if it has its ups and downs manages always to Bop to the Top. And this brings me to another song we've sang together, which is no other than "What I've been Looking For".

This was our audition song for the winter musical, or "musicale" as Mrs. Darbus wants to call it. Sharpay and I were constantly rehearsing until very late. Basically, this meant one thing: having to listen to her yelling and screaming all the time. She wanted everything to be perfect, but she was rather keen on correcting our smallest mistakes.

"Ryan!" she would scream unexpectedly, scaring me.

"What now?" I would ask, in a rather frightened tone.

"What now? Only that you've got to say? You get it all wrong! You are not supposed to turn that way. Your foot must be more on the right. Then, try to move your arms more gracefully. Remember, you are supposed to be dancing, not standing still as a scarecrow! And when you are singing, try to sound fuller on the high notes and don't forget to speak out clearly all the consonants! Understand now? "

"Yes Shar," I would have to say patiently. Then, I would go back to work and practice thrice as hard, only to be interrupted two and a half minutes later. You may wonder why I do not protest. In a sense, I believe she is right. Art is all about giving all your attention to details. Then, I could never ask Sharpay to change her bossy ways. After all, that's who she is and we need to accept everybody with one's talents and faults. Once, when we were younger I had taken the courage why she hurled all the time. She had replied:

**Because if I didn't, we wouldn't stand where we stand now, having participated in nine school productions! Remember when we were still thirteen, Ry? I guess what you said about applying attention to detail is true. That's why…**

…After Sharpay thought we had mastered our song and moves, she started thinking about the direction. She read more and more fashion magazines in order to find us something to wear. She worked particularly hard on this point for more than two weeks. At last, everything was ready just in time, one day before the auditions. Well, that's what she thought. Something crucial was missing.

"A hat? What would you need a hat for?" she asked me when I told her, feeling definitely annoyed. After all it's only an audition. You don't have to always wear a hat, don't you?"

"Indeed I do," I confirmed shyly.

"But Ryan, if wearing a hat to the audition is such a necessity, why don't you take one from your closet? I mean, you must have trillions in there!"

"I know," I sighed. "But no one will do".

"What do you mean no one will do. I can find you one that fits with your clothing".

"It's no use Shar. I tried on every single one of them. Nothing of them is what I am lookinf for as far as "What I've been Looking For" is concerned. No one of my show hats will do. I know this seems trivial to you, but you always said how we need to pay attention to details. Hats are no details of course, but the feeling that you wear the right one is."

"All right," she said. "Fine! I'll take you to the mall to buy a new one."

I got into Sharpay's Porsche and she drove us to the mall. My favourite hat stores were there and I secretly hoped there was a sale. Indeed there was! I rushed out, taking Sharpay by the hand. In the end of the day, we came back to the car carrying more than twenty bags. Actually, I was the one that was carrying, as my sister was talking to her mobile phone.

"I hope you are happy now," she said as we finally reached home. "Let's see what we got here. Well, what do you say? Do you like my new dress?"

It was a deep blue, salsa style dress, flowing and elegant. "It's great," I said. "You never know when this might come in hand. I think it will look great on you".

"Everything does," she remarked. "I always Bop to the Top, and I feel like I will do once more in this dress. But let's come back to you. Did you find the ideal hat for our show?"

Everything I had bought lay on the bed. There were a lot of hats, one on the other, creating an untidy mess. I liked all of them and I thought I could use any one for the show.

"It's somewhere in that pile" I said as I rushed to organize them. "It could be this, or this, or maybe that one" I said. Then I sighed once more. Nothing was up to the job. "Nah, who am I kidding! I'll never find the perfect hat for our song. We are doomed to fail!"

Sharpay looked at me so intensely that, if looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"What! Ryan, you bought twenty seven new hats at the mall and still nothing feels right. This is crazy. I quit. But then, no! I never quit. Listen to me, Ryan Evans! I personally will choose a hat for you and you will wear it tomorrow in the audition! You want to star in Twinkle Town, as much as I do and we are not going to lose the lead because of a hat!"

I nodded. There wasn't anything more I could do really.

"So, what about this one?" she said, pointing on a lime flat that fallen near my pillow. "I think this one is really nice".

I looked at the hat and gasped. Of course! How could I have forgotten! My lime green flat! That was exactly it. That was what… I had been looking for. It was a casual hat really and quite an old one that I used to wear to school but… it was perfect.

"Shar, you are a genius! You are born to be a fashion guru" I exclaimed and hugged her.

"I know but thank you," she only said.

I felt so happy, I needed to sing: "It's hard to believe that I couldn't see that you were always there beside me…"

"Well, thank you! You mean a lot to me too, Ryan" my sister said again.

"I was singing to the hat," I clarified. "But I love you too. So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking for!"

"Well, certainly this feeling's like no other," Sharpay joined and we both laughed.

"We'll do great tomorrow!" I told her.

"Toodles!" she cried, still laughing. "We are going to rock the school!"

So, the outcome had no surprises. Well, the audition did, as Troy and Gabriella showed up and it turned up they could sing. That's why they got the supporting roles. But Sharpay and I got the leads, as expected, and I feel I owe it to my hat. Now, I feel that you who have watched the movie are a little confused. I can hear you wondering. "What about Bop to the Top, then? Why did you have to sing it?" Well, my beloved readers, you'll soon know the answer, if you first do me a favour and rate and review!

Ryan Evans


	5. The Thinking Cup

**Chapter Four: The Thinking Cup**

**Sharpay's Note: Attention, Ryan's readers! As I get to know you more, I get to like you more and you should really feel flattered because I don't like many people! Anyway, I feel like I'm going to sing. I feel pretty! Oh so pretty! I feel pretty and witty and gay or bright (whichever version of West Side Story you prefer)! And I pity, any girl who isn't me today or tonight (again, chose your version).**

**I'm so happy! I got my report card today and it is great. Let me explain: I got As in Drama (well, obviously) in English, in PE, in Sociology and in History. And, for the first time of my life I managed to get a B+ in Science and Math! Oh, I'm so getting a raise in my weekly allowance for this!**

It is great indeed! I got good grades as well! Actually, my report card is identical to Sharpay's. I guess that has a lot to do with the fact we are twins (and thus have twin report cards) and we always sit together in school so we can copy from one another. You know, studying is not always easy when you have to rehearse for the school play all the time, when you have to work your tail of everyday and when you finish practicing your moves so late that you have no time to do your homework.

The truth is, as every student, I have some weaknesses. First of all, I am dyslexic. If for instance the whole basketball club stayed in a particular order wearing unique shirts that would read "Go drama club!" I'd probably have difficulty reading it. But, you know, dyslexic people are said to be very intelligent! This never stopped me from topping the English class. They also say Einstein was dyslexic too!

This brings me to my second problem: math! I may thrive in art-based subjects but I'm no Einstein. I hate logarithms, integration, calculus and all this identities I have to work with. I try to learn things by heart but it never works. Sharpay is better than I, but she doesn't try. She thinks math is a waste of time. So, I have no one to copy from during exams. Which is mainly why, approximately a month ago, when we got our majors, I found out I had gotten…

"An F?" I exclaimed. "Was it that bad? I mean, an F is hardly a passing grade!"

"An F stands for failure, Ryan," my sister whispered. She didn't have to worry. Once again, she had gotten a B, with little studying.

"If you only let me copy…" I pleaded her.

"It's no use," she protested. "I'm not good in math either. It just happened!"

"It always just happens," I remarked bitterly. "It happens that I study and you don't and then I get the F and you get the B".

"Ryan, I guess it is only a low B. I repeat. I am no good in mathematics. Never was and never will be. I'll gladly help in History or Drama, but I don't like pi. I am not Gabriella Montez."

Once again Sharpay was right… Gabriella Montez, how come that I hadn't thought of her before? She could help. And then, that friend of hers, Taylor McKessie, wasn't she the president of the geek club, sorry, I mean the Decathlon team? She could be of help too. I mean these girls are supposed to be all nice and popular, they like helping people if they can, and they are certainly very math-intelligent. The more I was thinking of it, the more I liked the idea! At the cafeteria I joined them at their table.

"What on Earth makes you think we are going to help you Evans?" Taylor asked sarcastically. I was disappointed. "How come you that ignore our existence along with your snobby sister come for help?"

"Girls, let your feuds with Sharpay out of this," I protested. "I always admired you for your ease with math. I always thought you are intelligent!"

"Well, we are" Gabriella giggled. "I'd really like to help Ryan, but tell me, why should I? Weren't you the one that stole the leads in the winter musicale from Troy and me?"

"What! You wanted to steal the roles from us! After all, Sharpay and I are the rightful co-presidents of the drama club!"

"Right and I am president of the math club" Taylor said. "And you will be not involved with it."

"Put on your thinking cup, Ryan!" Gabriella told me. "Math is common sense and if you had any you would understand why we can't help you, even if we'd love to".

I left utterly discouraged. I couldn't help feeling mad at Disney. I mean, those two seem so sweet, innocent and nice in the movie. "Isn't he dyslexic, anyway?" I heard Gabriella whispering to Taylor and they burst into laughter. Why do these girls have to be so mean? In fact, they are worse than Sharpay!

**When I tell you, you don't listen to me. I'm an angel, darling.**

Their words kept echoing into my mind. "Put on your thinking cup, Ryan!" I suddenly froze. That was it. Gabriella is a bright girl but that is the brightest thing she's ever said. My thinking cup! Of course, how could I have forgotten? When a problem arises, a hat helps you solve it!

I had exactly the right hat in mind. It was an old baseball cup, with the word "thinking" written all over it in red and green letters. Since it was very old, I decided to customize it a little. I got some old markers, scissors and different. Then, I created my own thinking hat, a real masterpiece. I drew formulas, triangles, identities and everything related to math.

I wore it, and it felt like math genius! I did my homework with enthusiasm and a great ease, since every time I had a problem, I took my hat of and consulted the appropriate formula. I didn't even have to wear it on the day of the next exam. After all if anyone saw me wearing a hat fool of formulas they would have thought: "Ryan has gone crazy!" Plus, I know all my hearts as I know the inside of my hand and this one was no exception! Every time a problem seemed difficult, I just brought my thinking cup to mind and everything seemed fine. "Everything's all right! Yes, everything's right!" I caught myself singing the tune from Jesus Christ Superstar once or twice.

"Congratulations, Mr. Evans!" the math teacher told me when she handed our exams back. "I am very impressed with your progress. You got an A+! Have you ever considered joining our Decathlon team? Taylor would surely be glad to involve someone who topped the class in the second major exam of the semester. Ms. Evans, to you now… Not bad! You too got an A-"

**See Ryan? The difference between us is that I don't have to do weird stuff, like hat customizing in order to good grade!**

Well, that's right, Shar! It was the first time indeed I saw you copying from me! But I owe you, in a way since you always let me copy too. I believe you remember what happened later. During lunch time, Gabriella and Taylor came to find me in the cafeteria.

"So, Evans…" the so-called president of the Decathlon team told me shyly. "Will you join us?"

"Sorry, Taylor," I replied. "My schedule is too tight. Besides, I think I'm not up to the job. Have you forgotten how dyslexic I am?"

"Please, Ryan. We didn't mean it!" Gabriella decided to play cute again. "After all, if you don't do this for Taylor or for the school, do it for me!"

"Who do you take me for, Troy Bolton?" I laughed. "This is no use, girls. After all, at a time of need you refused to help me, even if you actually did without you knowing it. Why should I help you now? Plus, I still believe I'm no genius like you two. I am not math intelligent. I just try to raise my grades. But then, you are not as drama intelligent as me. I think I beat you there!"

**Did you actually say that Ryan? I am so proud of you! At last, you are learning how to stand up for yourself!**

As I think of this, I will never be as sarcastic as you, Sharpay. We all have hidden talents though. This is why I'm so excited about getting my report card, shows that practice can make anything perfect, or almost perfect since my math grade. But we needn't worry too much. Grades are only feedback of our academic progress. What matters most to me is the feedback I get from my readers. Nothing is as important to me as their rating and reviewing!

Ryan Evans


	6. The White Twin Hats

**Chapter Five: The White Twin Hats**

**Sharpay's Note: Having a twin brother can be such a pain sometimes. Take Ryan, for instance! We might look the same but we are very different, and this is why sibling fights occur! If I left him alone he would watch his favourite movie, Rent, all day, he would spend all his money on hats and then he would do a jazz square in every audition. Listen to me; sometimes siblings are a great lot to deal with!**

Look who's talking! Having a twin sister can be an ever worse pain. Look at Sharpay! We might kind of look alike but in fact a chasm separates us! If I left her alone I would never be able to watch Rent again because she would watch The Sound of Music or Moulin Rouge. She now thinks she would do a great Satine. Well, she is a great actress but she would be better in the role of Scarlet O'Hara. It would be easy for her considering her personality. Then, she would spend all her money on fancy clothes and shoes. In fact, she'd make her hairdresser rich! And, in the end, what's wrong with the jazz squares? It is a crowd favourite!

Still, apart from that, I sometimes feel lucky to have a sister. I guess there are things that unite us after all. First of all there's the theatre. Only the last three years we've been Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria Judas and Mary Magdalene (they are not exactly a pair, but still these are lead roles), Minnie and Arnold (of course) and now Alex and Rose (Yes, East High's spring musicale is Aspects of Love) on stage. Moreover, Sharpay might not confess, but she loves hats too. If you have noticed, Sharpay appears wearing a hat twice in the movie.

Now that I think of it, I'd love to see Sharpay as Emma, the aspiring hat designer of song and dance... It is just fitting, since she starts manipulating men in that musical. I could be Joe, since his role involves a lot of dancing. But that's enough with musicals, dancing, Sharpay and hats. Let's go back to pure Sharpay and hats, because today I will talk to you about our common twin hats! Let me introduce you to my co-writer, Sharpay Evans!

**They already know me, Ryan! **** Hello, everybody. Did you miss me? If yes, I have good news for you. Ryan let me co-author this chapter with him! Now, you may wonder what our twin hats are. When we were younger, we use to fight even more often than now. You know how twin fights are always huge, right? In one of those we did not talk for over a week! Well, as I was the most mature, I decided to get him a making up present and I bought him a hat. You may remember it; it's the white flat with the brown leathery touches that he wears in the movie at some time. Surprisingly, as I told him I wanted to make truce with him, he offered me a hat too. It's amazing how we had the same idea. It was white (again!) and knitted, really beautiful!**

""**Thank you, Ryan" I remember myself exclaiming. "And I thought…"**

"…I was the mature one" she concluded.

"Your present is great too," I found myself admitting. "It's so great! It must have cost you a fortune!"

Sharpay smiled. "So, I guess our stupid fight is over. We should never do this again, Ry! I really missed you this week."

"I have an idea!" I said. "Let's make these hats symbols of our true friendship! Every time we wear it, we should not forget that we share this special bond, let's call it twin power! We are all for one-"

"You mean two for one and one for two" she giggled. "That's fine with me. I mean, you already start your crazy hat monologues, but… I like this idea! We have twin power and we will one day conquer Hollywood! Mary-Kate and Ashley, Dylan and Cole, beware! The Olsen and the Sprouse twins are nothing compared to the Evans ones! We rule. Think of that… Ashley and Lucas bop to the top!"

"Ashley and Lucas?" I asked curiously.

"Well, everybody needs a good stage name!" she explained with a cunning smile.

**And so time went on… We were not fourteen but sixteen year olds and even though it seems a rather trivial difference, it isn't. I and my brother (I know I should be really saying "My brother and I" but I cannot resist putting myself first!) could act, sing and dance better. Plus, we were in that age where relationships start to matter. Ryan was interested in this girl, Regina Wyatt. She was in the drama club, and she always played somehow important roles. I, on the other hand tried constantly to avoid Zeke Baylor, who has a crush on me since… (Well, I won't say kindergarten!) I got my first role. Even though I was a sophomore, I really liked a senior, but I didn't even know his name.**

**I remember sitting at the cafeteria, trying to find him. He usually hanged out with the preppy kids. He always wore fashionable polo shirts and I sometimes saw him studying these very heavy books. It was one of these days when I gazed at him daydreaming when…**

"Here you are, Evans!" Chad Danforth yelled in the middle of the cafeteria, pointing at me. His friends, Zeke and Jason were with him. Something told me that he was probably going to make a scene.

"Dude, do you know where Sharpay is?" Zeke asked me. Then he lowered his voice and told me secretly. "I have something for her. I prepared a couple of cookies, I think she likes them".

"She might like cookies, but she doesn't like you. Why don't you understand?" I tried to warn him. "It's like I always hear her yelling to some tall person to evaporate and that must be you."

"That's irrelevant!" Chad screamed. I froze. Behind him stood Regina Wyatt, my crush at the time, and she was watching us along with a couple of her friends, including Sharpay who looked distant and dreamy. "What I found, however, is this!" he said triumphantly showing me a magazine cover.

"The metrosexual man, what's that piece of crap?" I asked him. "What do I have to do with this?"

"I just thought he looks like you. You and this cover person look exactly the same way. Same clothes, same hat even! Now we know, Ryan. You are not gay, you are metrosexual!"

I was wearing the white hat Sharpay had given me that day. I didn't understand Chad's nonsense, but I wouldn't let him insult my hat. I rushed onto him, but he stopped me with a movement.

"Not in here!" he said. "After all, you don't want a certain Regina Wyatt to watch this!"

"How do you know?" I said, and he showed me the key of my locker. "So you somehow managed to steal this from me, open my locker and see the pictures from our last musical where I've added this nonsense "Ryan and Regina"... Fine, can you please give this back?"

"Only if you confess that you are metrosexual in front of the whole school."

"He is not metrosexual," I heard a female voice I knew too well besides Chad. It was my sister and she was wearing her white hat. With a move she grasped the keys from Chad and gave them to me. Then, to my dismay, she slapped him in front of the whole cafeteria!

**Yes, that's right. I beat him up. Nobody has the right to insult my brother and go unpunished, except from me of course!**

**"He is not****metrosexual," I said, "but you are stupid! I couldn't help watching the whole scene, though it disrupted me from something far more important. Now leave Chad Danforth, before something wrong happens."**

**" You heard her guys" Chad told Jason and Zeke. "There's not much we can do. She's the Ice Queen after all."**

**"I made you some cookies, Sharpay…" Zeke made one last try.**

**"Evaporate tall person!" I yelled and he left, scared.**

Twin power had triumphed. I took my hat off to Sharpay and she did the same. We laughed. Whatever happened, we'd always have one another. And this felt great.

"Now, let's forget about your problems with the jocks and let's take a little care of our love lives", my sister said. We sat down on the drama club table, ready to discuss our plans. But as I'll be writing about what happened between Sharpay and her crush and Regina and me, take your time to R&R. And you know perfectly what this stands for: Rate and Review, not Regina and Ryan! This will be in the next chapter!

Ryan Evans**(and Sharpay Evans!)**


	7. The Glamourous Twin Hats

**Chapter Six: The ****Glamourous Twin Hats**

**Sharpay's Note: I am so happy Ryan lets me co-author this chapter with me as well. You could see this as the continuation of the previous one. Oh, yes Anthony sent another email to me today. Let me read it to you: "Dear Sharpay, I am a great fan of yours and I was really delighted when you started writing. Will you go out on a date with me? Love, Anthony". **

**This is getting interesting. I'd like to meet you, since I love the idea of having a secret fan, but unfortunately the last time I got into a blind date it was with the Annoying Thing… sorry I mean Zeke. That's just my nickname for him. Well, you see, I had to run away, screaming. So… as Ryan hasn't come here yet, let me write my thoughts. This chapter will be called: Sharpay's Tiara. It will actually be a story of how a really good-looking guy invited me to the prom.**

What do you think you are doing? I didn't agree to write about this!

**Why not? It will be fun. Tiaras are headwear after all!**

Well, they may be, but this is my journal and I decide what to write in it! You are fired. Well, not really. Let's just say, for the next chapter, you will return to your commentaries.

**Nobody fires Sharpay Evans!**

"So, why are you so good to me, today?"

**I'm not being good to you!**

That was an attempt to go on with the story! I tried to ignore you, and go on for once! Back to my story…"So, why are you being so good to me today?" I asked Sharpay as we sat by the drama club's table.

"Because you are my brother and all…" she replied. "And, I wanted to ask you a favour".

"Well, I didn't see that coming!" I mumbled. "Tell me, what is this about?"

"You mean who is this about…" Sharpay told me secretly. "I want to know who this guy is over there. That guy with the polo sweater that hangs out with the seniors".

"Oh, you must mean Martin Harris. I have met him in the library a couple of times. He must be studying a lot. I heard he wanted to go to Harvard, you know the law school. But is it what about him that do you need to know?"

"I like him," she said. "And I want to ask him out".

"Why don't you do it then?" I asked. "It's not in your character to be shy! After all, Sharpay Evans never takes no for an answer!"

"Look who's talking, the one who doesn't even dare to speak to Regina Wyatt!"

"I have an idea," I suddenly cried. "Follow me! We are going to our lockers."

"What… for?" Sharpay asked, trying to catch up with me. It must be hard trying to run in high heels. "I hope your idea does not include… hats!"

"You guessed it! I am proud of you!"

**Ryan's idea was crazy and hat obsessed, as always. We would put on our glamourous twin hats. You have seen them; we also wear them in the movie. My brother's in a lime flat, kind of similar to his What I've been Looking For cup. Mine is silver and very fashionable, kind of a flat too. I and Ryan (ladies first!) believe that these hats really make us look good, but the actual reason we had them in our lockers was that we would do a photo shoot for the school's magazine**** later on. Mrs. Darbus insisted that we should promote the musical by giving an interview to our classmates. Whatever, when it includes taking my picture, I'm in!**

"**No one will say no to us now!" Ryan reassured me as we changed hats. "Remember, different hats, same twin power!"**

"**For some reason, I don't think this is going to work" I whispered. "It's just…crazy! I'm not sure I want to do this…"**

"**Is Sharpay Evans afraid?**

"**Nah, of course not!" I protested, even though I wasn't so sure. **

"**Let's just see how it goes" my brother's last word was. "Meet you here, right after for the photoshoot!"**

**I stumbled upon Martin in the hallway. This was sooner than I expected and I started to panic. It was not at all like me but I couldn't even act, pretending that everything was ok. My heart was beating so quickly, I thought it would explode. What was I'm going to say?**

"**Hi…" I finally spoke out a word. "I am Sharpay Evans. Do I know you from somewhere?" Oh, that was a disaster. "Well, since I'm president of the drama club, I figured out that… you… that we need new members for our new musicale. Are you interested in joining us?"**

**I knew this was disastrous but he didn't even seem to notice me. "A weird hat you got there. Now, I'm sorry but I can't join your club… I'm in my senior year and I have a lot of studying to do. I have to get into Harvard, you know…the Law School."**

**That left me speechless. As he left, I couldn't even scream! In the meanwhile…**

I was walking casually into the corridor when I jumped onto Regina. "Hello, Ryan! She greeted me. I love your new hat!"

"So, how are your rehearsals going on?"

"Fine! I think I really enjoy being Anita for West Side Story. And then, I'm Sharpay's understudy which means that I might get the lead one day".

"I really wish my sister would really break a leg sometime!"

She laughed at that little joke. "Why? You are the school's top theatrical talents. You are actually a great duo. I could even imagine you on Broadway. Take whichever musical you like, the Producers, for instance. Sharpay could play Ulla and you could be… Roger de Bris".

"Isn't he supposed to be gay?" I asked. "He's very flamboyant and a great dancer, for sure. Why not? But that's not the point. I believe that it does well to leading actors to change leading actresses, sometimes…"

"That's true", she admitted. "And you know, Ryan, I'd love to share a lead role with you. Sharpay would never leave me, though. After all, you are the greatest dancer in the school. All girls actually secretly wish they were your dancing partners!"

I feel I was getting close. "And then," she continued. "I've never really told you but you are one of my best friends. Thank you for all the help! I mean, if it wasn't for your advice and help, I wouldn't have lasted in the drama club".

"Is that all?" I asked her again. "…I am a friend? Wouldn't you think of me as something else?"

"Like what?" she replied curiously when her cell phone rang. Thankfully, Mrs. Darbus wasn't around. "Sorry, I have to go. Mark is waiting for me. Bye!"

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked, but she was already gone. Well, obviously she did.

I returned to my locker only to find that Sharpay had had no success, either. She was a wreck. I could tell she was crying.

"Come on," I told her. "We'll be late for the photo shoot. I know, my idea was really stupid. We'll have to go though this later."

**I nodded. The show should go on. I put up my best smile, remembered I hat my glamourous hat on and concentrated on the shoot. The interviews went fine as well. Surprisingly, my brother and I sounded funny and cheerful as we went through them. By the end of the day, we had forgotten all about Martin and Regina and we were our old selves again. We were practicing for the big premiere.**

**The school's magazine was out next week and we were in the cover. The title read: "Drama Club. Is it the coolest ever? Sharpay Evans: The Ice Queen is your Drama Queen. Ryan Evans: The Man with the Hat. They present: West Side Story!" Somehow it was funny and made us look really nice, like the school's role models or something. Plus, Ryan and I had posed in our glamourous hats. We looked…**

…"**Great, you really are great in this one. I love your hat in the photo shoot!" a certain Martin Harris came for me in the cafeteria. "All my friends started cheering when I said I know you. Remember when you said I could join the drama club? Well, what should I do?**

"**Oh please," I replied. "Don't get too enthusiastic. I'm sure we would find something small for you but the auditions are officially finished".**

"**That's a shame. Could I have your autograph then?**

"**We'll see… If I find the time to sign…"**

It is amazing how popular can a magazine cover make you. It was the school's magazine, but still! We always were the snobbish drama kids, but now our hats had made us the glamourous snobbish drama kids. And it seemed like, everyone in East High wanted to befriend a glamourous snobbish drama kid.

"Ryan," a soft voice called for me.

"Oh, hi Regina," I said casually.

"You see, I broke up with my boyfriend last night and I was wondering…"

"You shouldn't really" I interrupted her. "You and Mark -isn't that his name? - seem very nice together".

"Ryan!" she protested, but I was off to practice with Sharpay. She would be mad if I was late.

"So, are you enjoying fame?" my sister asked, drinking a sip of water.

"Always!" I replied with a smile. "We'll have to do something to ensure they will remember us for a little while, let's say up to the end of next week. It seems like the only person never to lose popularity is that jock, Troy Bolton".

"Do you think he likes my hat?" Sharpay questioned me. "Just kidding, of course? Now back to practice!"

Once again, we would have to work our tails off. That's what glamourous twins with glamourous dreams and glamourous hats do. I hope you liked our coauthored story. Sharpay you were wonderful, as always and in the next chapter you return to your commentaries. But until, then I will feel very lucky if my loyal readers take the time to rate and review!

Ryan Evans** (and Sharpay Evans!)**


	8. The Fantastic Fedora

**Chapter Seven: The Fantastic Fedora**

**Sharpay's Note: Hello, everyone! Did you miss us? Yes, I and Ryan have quite some time to update but we bring you great news! As our exams are progressing we may find it difficult to write in our journal, but I assure you that we will do our best. Gosh! I hate studying. Who in their right minds like memorizing history dates and mathematical formulae when they could be rehearsing their singing instead? Well, certainly not the Evans twins which is why I decided along with my brother to take a break. This weekend we went to Europe!**

And, not just anywhere in Europe! We went to Cannes, during the Cannes Film festival. It was a great weekend full of glamour, the red carpet, the new movies… Exciting, I think is the word for it. You see, Sharpay and I have something like a tradition. We find ourselves into everything that has to do with singing, acting or dancing and fame. For the past seven years we have been sneaking in the Academy Awards, the MTV Awards, the Emmys, and the Tonys (of course) and so many more. We may adore show tunes but we won't limit ourselves outside popular culture!

**And of course the flashy cameras and the magazine covers. Remember Ryan, when we even made the cover of lasts year's Hello!? **

We did not exactly make the cover. Your hair did as you were standing behind Nicole Kidman. I think somewhere in the background my hat was to be seen as well. This is no other than my special hat for such occasions, Ryan's fantastic fedora.

**Please, don't start your fedora monologue again!**

But this is exactly what today's story is all about! That fedora is no ordinary fedora! It belongs to the famous archaeologist Indiana Jones. Well, not really; it's just a replica. And yet, that replica cost me no less than 540 dollars. Later I learned that it was supposed to act as a stage prop, but never made it to the big screen. Still, every time I wear this brownish piece of my collection, I feel strong and sure about myself, I feel ready for adventure.

The previous Friday morning was a typical Friday morning with drama as the first period class. Mrs. Darbus was not so typical however. She was all excited and cheerful.

"So, class," she started. "Next week is the premiere of the end of the year musicale. As you know, our new production is Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Mr. Bolton, I'd ask you to name me three other musicals composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber but I'm sure you don't know any. Let's see, Alex… I mean Ryan?"

I hated these moments, when I had to look like a drama nerd in front of the whole class but I replied indeed: "Cats is maybe his most well known one. Then we have Jesus Christ Superstar which our drama club did last year –at these words Mrs. Darbus beamed with pleasure- and…"

"The Woman in White," Sharpay whispered to me.

"The Woman in White," I said quickly.

"Does that have to do everything with Men in Black?" Chad asked, but nobody gave him attention.

"Thanks, Shar," I whispered back to my sister. "You saved me. Why are you so nice today? And, you look really nice as well." Actually, her dress suited her but, as always, it was not something you wear at school. Mrs. Darbus would most likely comment it as Old Hollywood Glamour. "Wait a sec, isn't that the dress that costed you close to 1000 dollars, the one with the Swarovski crystals. Oh, did I forget again? Is it your birthday? Is it our birthday?"

"Ryan, I always look nice," she nodded. "And, I can't believe you forgot! No, it's not our birthday! Remember how our parents are on a business trip in New York? Well, we are going on a business trip too, to Cannes, France! These are plane tickets and we are leaving next period. I couldn't bear losing drama class!"

Of course, the Cannes Film Festival! How could I have forgotten! We would skip next period, which was fine as we had PE. Not that I don't like sport, but Mr. Bolton is a little weird as a teacher. I think he hates me, especially after Twinkle Towne. I hope he doesn't believe I stole the role from his son! However, I had nicer things to think of. I touched my head but something essential was missing. As the bell rang and Sharpay got me by the hand, I wanted to scream.

"Don't worry!" she said, as we took seats by her Porsche, which she let me drive for once. "I have everything ready for you. Everything is in the back of the car, including your Indiana Jones hat."

"It's called a fedora!" I protested!

"Whatever," she said and she looked out of the window. I love driving expensive sports cars. I have a Ferrari, which is as nice as Sharpay's convertible but I think it is too much to drive it at school. I mean, I don't want to look like a snobbish, terribly rich guy. My sister obviously does. Don't get me wrong, of course I do enjoy those fine little pleasures that I am fortunate to enjoy, but still I don't think it is right to boast upon money which is not even yours! After all, it was my grandfather who earned it, in a lifetime's hard work!

And yet, as we found our first class seats, I couldn't feel but happy. The plane took of and we had a pleasant trip to France. Sharpay wasn't very talkative but rather slept. This is such a shame, since she always insists on taking the window seat and then she sleeps. I never say a word, even though I adore gazing out of the window. Life is so unfair!

We were finally in Cannes. We checked in at the Carlton Cinq Etoiles and immediately rushed out at the beautiful, sea side boulevard with the palm trees. Every passenger was practically a celebrity. And then, right near a bench I thought I saw Angelina! I mean, really it was Angelina Jolie! Oh, I've had a crush on her since, forever. And I thought it was the right time to…

"Ask for an autograph? No, Ryan," Sharpay said. "She should be asking for your autograph, if not now, then when we will become famous. No, I don't want you to be hurt, but keep in mind that she is an actual person too; she's not an autograph signing doll! I know you are a great fun of hers, but remember, she has the right to relax as well!"

Coming to Cannes maybe wasn't such a good idea. Sharpay took me by the hand and we had to visit every designer's boutique: from Ralph Lauren to Giorgio Armani. Seriously, she felt like she had to shop 'till she'd drop… literally! Then, guess who had to carry her bags! Me, of course! I desperately wanted to go back to physical education class until I saw in Roberto Cavalli's boutique…

"Alessandra!" I exclaimed. "How come you are here?"

"Mio Dio! Oh my God! Ryan, is that you? If so, then I have to ask how come you are here. Sicily is closest to the Cote d'Azur than New Mexico!"

"Of course," I said, laughing. "Well, Sharpay had this idea of coming… She is shopping, right now. That's why I'm carrying her bags, you see. We are staying at the Carlton".

"Really? We are staying at the Carlton too. Mio cugino, my cousin works there and he was sweet enough to invite me for the Festival. He knows how much I adore movies! And, you know, tonight they are hosting a party there... they say that plenty of celebrities will come, including Angelina Jolie even. Will you be my escort? I remember that you are a great dancer from the previous time!"

"I can't believe you are asking me! Of course," I replied, dazzled.

"Ryan!" Sharpay yelled from the cashier. "Where are you?"

"I see you have to go… See you tonight then!" Alessandra left me with a smile.

Time flew by. Before I could tell, I was trying on different types of outfits, to see which would impress Sandra (that's how she wants me to call her) the most. I guess I would have to wear something semi formal but I couldn't resist the temptation of wearing my hat. Sharpay, having obviously learned about the party, wore her ridiculously expensive dress with a pair of equally ridiculously expensive shoes and her famous tiara she had once gone to a prom with. We took the stairs and arrived at the party.

"Names?" a gentle portiere asked us.

"Sharpay and Ryan Evans," I said, for both of us.

"Monsieur, you may come in. Excellent hat choice, by the way. I've seen many people passing through these gates for various parties, even Harrison Ford, but I have to say that you, young man, know exactly how to wear a hat. As to you Madame, I am sorry but I can't let you in. Your name is not in the list".

"What?" Sharpay cried, her eyes filled with disbelief. "I am certainly not a party crusher. Ryan, tell them, please. He is my brother!"

**"I believe the young lady is with me, right?" I then heard a voice behind me. I was ready to cry, but as I turned back I almost gasped. I could not believe it, but I thought that this face I was looking at seemed strangely familiar. He wasn't more than twenty and his hair was dark blond while his eyes were grey, like the Mediterranean Sea. I suddenly realized who he was. I knew who he was, even though when I was sometimes singing to myself "Somewhere my Prince Will Come", I'd never expected to meet HRH Prince Etienne (of a small Mediterranean state, even smaller than Monaco, but still a state) in person.**

**"Of course I am with him," I smiled. Oh, the stories I would later tell at school!**

So, Shar got into that party after all, and made not only one, but a million covers as she passed into the Party, as some royalty's new girlfriend. But as the music turned more slowly I was only thinking about me and Sandra. We danced together, and she knew how to dance really well. At some point, I heard a female voice commenting on how great my hat choice had been. It was Angelina Jolie. At any other time, I'd be more than thrilled with the thought, but now the only thing that mattered was being with Sandra.

"You know, Ryan. I do get very jealous. I can't listen to other girls admiring your hat. So, why don't we get outside, like, just the two of us?"

"That's the best thing I've heard tonight," I whispered, and I brought her closer to me. We went outside to a terrace full of flowers, and then I took her away from that posh party (only Sharpay can stand all that glitter) and near the seaside. The breeze passed through the leaves of the palm trees. Alessandra closed her eyes and I felt the magic was right there. We gently kissed and I couldn't help noticing how her gown was the same colour with the sea at night.

"I think we forgot something," was the last thing she whispered. "Last time we kissed, you had your hat off".

There was absolutely no reason why I shouldn't do her this little favour. I took of my fedora and we passionately kissed, again. Now, I know that this is a little awkward, especially after a romantic scene, but there is no reason why you, my beloved readers, can't do me a little favour: rate and review! I hope I see you soon,

Ryan Evans.


	9. The Bop to the Top Hat

**Chapter Eight: The Bop to the Top Hat**

_Kelsi's Handwriting:__ I still don't believe I had the opportunity to read Ryan's hat-themed journal. I am a hat lover myself and I have to admit that I really enjoyed your stories! But then, I shall go because Sharpay might come back at any minute. I mean, she must have been bored to spread this news that she went to a party in Cannes with the Prince of Mondogne and carry the latest version of "Hello!" around in order to prove it!_

**Sharpay's Note: Kelsi Nielsen what are you doing here and how dare you gossip about what I do in my brother's journal! Go away, immediately!**

Girls, relax! Nobody is going away. Sharpay, let me introduce Kelsi, our guest for today. She came by in order to discuss our next year's musicale. Think of it: we are going to be seniors then! But anyway, I think this Disney movie has pretty much mixed things up. You, dear sister, seem too nice in it, Gabriella and Taylor seem too friendly and sweet, Troy seems too popular and Chad seems too stupid. As to Kelsi, no offense, but they really did make her look like a squeaky mouse!

_I know! And what's up with the awkward way I paired up with Jason in the end? I mean, everybody knows you kind of persuaded him to come and talk to me! Thanks, Ryan, you are a friend! _

But what has been bugging me the most is the whole callbacks scene. Bop to the Top was a number Sharpay and I didn't perform at any callbacks. Set aside that we got the roles; people must finally learn the truth. I had promised this story to my readers and now, at last, it's the time to fulfill my promise. I remember, it was the first rehearsal of Twinkle Towne.

"Sharpay and Ryan Evans, I have something for you!" Mrs. Darbus rushed in. "A friend of mine, a producer needs two young people for a show he is going to have next fall in Broadway."

"I hope it isn't the same friend that will turn our school into a Disney musical," I whispered to Sharpay.

Mrs. Darbus kept on. "It won't be anything major, but I know well that having a role on the actual stage can boost your potential careers. It is a new production called, Hats!"

"I don't think Cats is a new production", Sharpay said, a little confused.

"It is not called Cats but Hats!" Mrs. Darbus explained. "It's the story of a young man, aspiring to be a dancer. His style is unique and he wears characteristically a hat every time he dances. Jealous of the attention he earns, his old girlfriend, also a dancer steals his hat from him. So, you must know that you are not the only ones auditioning. About two hundred teenagers your ages do, but still, it's a great opportunity!"

Sharpay didn't say a word until we returned home. Her enthusiasm could not hide though. As we closed the door, we both exclaimed: "Story of my life!" Then I saw her improvising dancing and humming the tune of what you might recognize as Bop to the Top.

"Hey, that's pretty good!" I said. "I like that tune. Did you just make it up?"

"Yes," she said like it was the most natural thing in the world. ""Theatre is after all the story of our life. I feel very inspired. We'll just have to think how to bump the competition".

"We'll climb the ladder of success!" I assured her. "We'll wipe them all away. After all, we work our tails off every day".

"Wait a sec that rhymed!" Sharpay exclaimed. We both looked at another. That was scary.

**We now knew exactly how to do. With a little help from our Kelsi here, the song was ready. Now we could concentrate on more important stuff, such as making Ryan synchronize with the beat, which meant that I had to waste my voice on yelling and screaming again. When we finished with that, came the most important part: what should we wear on the presentation?**

Sharpay had her blue dress, the one with the feathers she had bought at the mall. I couldn't say: it suited her really, but I am wondering why my sister can't wear more normal clothes. After all, it is school. Whatever… (I see her looking at me with that I-will-kill-you look, so I'll stop and not even comment on her high heels). As always, I had to find the perfect hat but this time I didn't ask for her help. I happened to find what I was looking for in an antique shop.

"This hat," the old lady at the counter had told me in a dreamy tone, "belonged once to an Argentinean of noble origins who became a tango legend. It is a real piece of art, don't you agree? Plus, it's rumoured to bring good luck to the person that wears it, and boost one's self esteem."

See, sometimes old ladies at counters have interesting stories to tell. Of course I did not believe a word, after all a sales person must make the product look attractive. Still, I adored that hat. It was black and it created an impression of mystery, as a white ribbon was wrapped around it. "I'll buy it!" I decided.

"In that case it is 150 dollars" the old lady said, in a kind matter-of-factly way which really showed the hat fairy-tales were over as it was payment time.

_I know that old lady! I have bought a couple of hats from her antique shop as well! Geez, she is expensive! _

And then, days passed and passed until it was Showtime! Sharpay and I did our theatre preparing routine and we were finally ready. I put on my hat and took a deep breath. Even though a producer would be watching at me, I wasn't anxious at all. I went out there, in the wilderness of the scene and…

"Mucho gusto!" I improvised. Wait, were had that come from? I mean, I don't speak Spanish! Then, what had the old lady said about the hat, that it belonged to a Latin dancer… Hmm, maybe she was telling the truth after all and that was the aura of the hat. But… how would Sharpay react? We had not rehearsed Spanish or side-effects of hat auras!

"Hay que fabulosa! Ay ay ay!" she responded. Thanks, God! It was going well. I wouldn't press my mind trying to remember if Sharpay spoke Spanish, but then, I had more serious matters to think off, such as the performance! After all, that was my Broadway future in some play that seemed to be written exactly about me. I put all of my effort and the show finished before I could say "Suave!"

_From my position, I couldn't but enjoy the performance. Sharpay was flawless, as always but Ryan was something else! He is the school's greatest passion, and still I had never seen him dance like that ever before! It was just amazing! He was awesome! He was great!_

**For God's sake, Kelsi, stop flirting my brother!**

_I am not flirting your brother. You are angry because I believe he was bett…_

No, Kelsi, you won't write this! I see where this is going and I don't want you two to fight in my journal! Back to our story, this is safe. After I finished, I threw my hat at the crowd in excitement. Now that I think of it, I really shouldn't have because I lost it, and not only that, but guess who grabbed it in the air, after a fight with a couple of other girls?

That's right! It was Regina Wyatt. "I love you Ryan!" she screamed. After her breaking up with her boyfriend, my old crush seemed to find a great interest in me, which was quite flattering when it didn't get annoying, like now. After all, even though I was already in a relationship with Sandra, I still liked her. I know, this isn't right but…

**Your love life is just complicated Ryan! I mean you totally adore a girl who lives in another continent, but then you also love another classmate who is crazy about you but you don't confess because she rejected you once. It is pathetic. **

Look who's talking! I mean, Sharpay you went out with some Prince Etienne of a state called Mondogne that nobody has ever heard of, you think you are in love and you call me complicated? Well, I really struggle to stick to the story because, as it seems we won't avoid the fight!

"What was up with the Spanish?" my sister asked curiously when we finished and I dragged her by the hand off the stage before she told a friend to call her.

"The Spanish… oh, right! I mean… the hat… the magic…"

"Whatever…" she said. "I thought we had agreed not to do this version of the lyrics, but it went fine".

Of course, the old version! I had forgotten! Somehow, the old opening had come to mind. I thought the hat was to blame, but then I would never admit that to Sharpay.

And this is how abruptly it ends. After all, this happened only some months ago. Sharpay and I are still awaiting a decision, which will most likely come after summer. Things take their time in the theatre. The End, and this is official.

Ryan Evans

Ok, as I signed, Sharpay and Kelsi went away. That, as the most cunning of you might have guessed is indeed the official version of the story. But there has been a little behind the scenes between me and the producer, Mr. Clarke afterwards, which is all yours to enjoy:

Mr. Clarke believed that I had outperformed Sharpay. Please don't tell her that. He was so impressed by my dancing that he said that he could even wait until finish school and then… I will have the lead role! I'll be the dancer with the hat! Then, he said Sharpay could have something minor because she was really good as well, but he found her dress weird, even of quite charming. I feel so happy! If you share my feelings, my friends, and want to make me even happier, please Rate and Review! Again,

Ryan Evans.


End file.
